TEMPE, Ariz. — Jorge Soler admitted last year that playing outfield so much was “tough” on his body.

Which is quite a contrast to how he’s been this spring.

“He’s coming up to me and asking me to play more,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. “He wants another at-bat. He wants to play right field more. That’s a great sign.”

Of course, the Angels don’t really want Soler to play outfield that much. The ideal alignment for them is to have Josh Lowe, Mike Trout and Jo Adell in the outfield, with Soler at DH.

Trout will certainly warrant some time at DH, which could push Soler into the outfield. And they need him to do so without suffering the kind of injuries he did last year. Soler dealt with back problems throughout the season.

Soler said he spent his winter doing more running, and he lost some weight. His improved mobility has been clear, from the first time he scored from first base on a double this spring.

Soler, who was in right field for Monday’s game, had a 1.029 OPS through his first 22 plate appearances of the spring, with five walks and six strikeouts.

“I feel really good this year,” Soler said through an interpreter. “Last year I had a really bad year and that was disappointing. But this year, it’s an important year and I feel like I’m more focused and ready to go.”

Soler, 34, hit .215 with 12 home runs and a .680 OPS last season. He played just 82 games, including 40 in the outfield.

Over the previous three years, Soler had a .791 OPS and he averaged 23 homers.

Soler, who is a free agent at the end of this season, is going to need a rebound this season if he’s going to get a job next year.

Some around the Angels believe that Soler is especially motivated by getting his next contract.

Asked in general if there are players who do better in contract years, Suzuki said it’s natural to have some extra motivation even if it’s not the prevailing driver.

“The way the money is out there right now, who wouldn’t be?” Suzuki said. “For me, I think these guys are professionals and they want to be successful. They’re pros. They want to put forth the best effort they can. Just because a guy has a down year doesn’t mean he doesn’t work hard, you know. This game is a tough game and I think it’s a game of adjustments and when guys struggle a little bit, they work on it, they figure out what they can do better and they go after it.”

TV DEAL ANNOUNCED

The Angels announced the completion of their deal with Main Street Sports to purchase a portion of the television network that will broadcast their games.

They will retain the name FanDuel Sports Network West. The Kings will also appear on the network.

DirectTV, Spectrum and Cox will carry the network, just as they did before. Fans without those providers can purchase streaming packages through Major League Baseball.

The Angels will begin broadcasting games with the Freeway Series exhibition games against the Dodgers (March 22-24). They will air all the regular-season games except the nationally televised games.

LOWE UPDATE

Lowe, who has been out with oblique tightness, took batting practice on Sunday and did some defensive drills on Monday. He has been running.

Lowe said he “felt really good” hitting in the cage, and he’s hoping to get some live at-bats by the end of the week.

“Everything’s moving in the right direction,” Lowe said.

Suzuki said he was encouraged by what he saw from Lowe’s batting practice.

“He said he was swinging about 90% and I mean he was hitting balls on the Trackman at 108 (mph), 110 (mph),” Suzuki said. “So I know he was swinging hard.”

NOTES

Jeimer Candelario did some work at second base during morning drills on Monday. “We’re just seeing what our options are,” Suzuki said. “Candy’s been swinging the bat really well. He’s been playing really well.” Candelario has an 1.137 OPS in 28 plate appearances this spring. He’s been playing third and first in games. At those positions, he would be a backup to Yoán Moncada and Nolan Schanuel. The Angels haven’t determined who their starting second baseman is, though. …

Suzuki said that top pitching prospect Tyler Bremner will be getting into a Cactus League game “soon.” Bremner, the Angels’ first-round draft pick last July, has been working on improving his slider before the Angels use him in a major league game. “I know Perry (Minasian) wants him to get into a game,” Suzuki said. “Just trying to check all the boxes. Just kind of making sure he’s fully ready before we throw him out there. He hasn’t pitched a professional inning yet, so we got to make sure he’s really ready to go.” …

Right-handers Robert Stephenson and Nick Sandlin are scheduled to face Angels hitters again in the next couple of days. Each is rehabbing from injuries last year. Neither has pitched in a game yet this spring. …

Zach Neto was in the No. 3 spot for the Angels’ game on Monday. Suzuki said he’s still experimenting with lineups. Neto was primarily the leadoff hitter last season. “I think this is the time to experiment with stuff and see what works best,” Suzuki said.